Voters in three towns in Monmouth and Ocean counties headed to the polls Tuesday for special elections.
SEA BRIGHT - Borough voters approved three bond proposals worth more than $5.7 milllion Tuesday night that will help fund the replacement of municipal buildings damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Sea Bright plans to construct two new municipal buildings - a 8,609-square-foot building that will serve as a community center, beach pavilion and the beach utility headquarters; and a 14,187-square-foot municipal complex where the borough hall and police, fire and first aid stations will be located.
Because all three bond ordinances passed - by more than 2-1 margins - the borough will be able to appropriate the more than $12.7 million needed to construct the buildings, with the additional funding coming through insurance payouts and FEMA funding.
The proposed new municipal building for Sea Bright. (Borough of Sea Bright) "I'm happy and relieved at the outcome of the vote," Mayor Dina Long said. "I was definitely nervous and not sure what to expect, but there was an incredible voter turnout. And regardless of the outcome, it was gratifying to see so many people to show up to vote."
Hurricane Sandy significantly damaged four of Sea Bright's five municipal buildings. And while the borough hall was not destroyed, borough officials have been forced to work out of the gymnasium of the attached recreation center in order to have enough space to accommodate the post-Sandy demand.
The borough's fire company has been storing its equipment in a rented garage, which is in a flood zone and not climate controlled or insulated. That has resulted in extra wear and tear on the equipment, Long said.
"Our employees have been working in very difficult conditions for the last three and a half years without complaining," Long said. "But we haven't had adequate facilities for our public safety departments, which is obviously paramount in a community like Sea Bright and we definitely feel like time is running out to take action."
FEMA's deadline for Sea Bright to complete the construction on the buildings in order to receive the federal funding is Oct. 30.
However, the project underwent multiple redesigns and then a groundswell of opposition to the projects' price tags forced the referendum for residents to approve or reject the spending.
With the bond ordinances now approved by the voters, Long said Sea Bright officials plan to file for an extension from FEMA and hope to have both projects out to bid by the end of the year.
The proposed new community center and beach pavilion for Sea Bright. (Borough of Sea Bright) "But that fact that we had the petition for the referendum, and then the referendum and then as many 'no' votes as we did, sent a very loud message," she said. "We need to listen more and work to control our costs more."
Other special election results from Tuesday:
-- Voters in Belmar overwhelmingly rejected a controversial ordinance - 836 to 292 - that sought to loosen the borough's "pay-to-play" laws.
-- Tuckerton voters narrowly approved a bond proposal, 206 to 185, that will enable the Tuckerton Board of Education to appropriate $3.6 million for various renovations at Tuckerton Elementary School.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.